"Thanks again for the new wagon, Fitoria," said Raphtalia. "Filo really seems to enjoy it."

Filo was running around the wagon, inspecting every inch and gushing about how excited she was to be able to get to work again.

"So, Fitoria," said Aris. "To confirm...there is another Hero close by, right?"

Fitoria nodded. "He's not far at all. You should be able to get to him in under an hour."

"Alright," said Aris. "Then...I suppose we'll be setting off."

"Very well. Take care."

Aris summoned and mounted Epona, Sora boarded his Keyblade Glider, and everyone else loaded into Filo's wagon with Raphtalia in the driver's seat.

"If we get past that wall," Raphtalia pointed to a distant border checkpoint lined with dozens of guards, "we'll be on the other side of the border."

"Are there any other routes we could take?" asked Cloud.

After some analysis of her map, Raphtalia spoke up. "We could take a detour, but that would cost us several more days on the road."

"Fitoria said there was another Hero nearby," Ness pointed out. "Maybe we should take that detour anyway."

"Brother?" asked Loretta. "What do you make of this?"

Aris pondered for a long moment.

"We head directly to the checkpoint," he finally said. "If it's Itsuki or Ren, we may be able to convince them to let us pass."

Raphtalia seemed hesitant. "...Okay!"

"But what if that doesn't work?" asked Filo.

"Then we'll have to force our way through, sadly."

Alert horns sounded from the fortress near the checkpoint as Aris and his party approached.

Filo narrowed her eyes angrily as she looked ahead. "Papa..."

"Yes, Filo?"

"It's the spear guy again."

Aris gritted his teeth. "Of course it had to be him, of all people."

"What now?" asked Sora.

"We've come too far to turn back now," said Aris. "We have no choice but to keep moving."

Filo stopped the wagon several meters from Motoyasu, who stood with his party behind him. The party stepped off the wagon, Sora dismounted his Keyblade Glider, and Aris dismissed Epona. He stepped toward the Spear Hero. "Motoyasu, I want to speak with you. We don't wish for a fight. All we ask is that you let us pass."

Motoyasu's head lowered. "Let you through..? Is that it..?" His head raised, revealing a furious expression. "Is that all you have to say for yourself, traitor!?"

He thrust his spear forward. Aris called his shield to block. "Can you at least hear me out before you try to get my head onto the end of your spear!?"

"I'm not listening to a guy who brainwashed innocent people into basically worshipping him," Motoyasu said firmly. "So don't even think about trying to talk your way out of this!"

He unleashed a lightning-imbued thrust, sending Aris sliding back a few feet.

"Motoyasu, I don't want to fight!" Aris exclaimed. "I never did! Yes, I dislike you, but I don't want to fight!"

Motoyasu ignored him. "I think I know why I was summoned here now. Something tells me it was specifically so I could stop you."

He reared his weapon. "Meteor Thrust!" A searing beam of blue energy shot toward Aris, who cast Air Strike Shield to block it. He barely succeeded in doing so.

The dust cloud cleared, revealing Aris and his party, all still standing.

"Still on your feet?" Motoyasu grunted. "Stubborn. I'll give you that much."

Filo clenched her jaw. "Lemme at him already!"

"If he's acting like this, nothing's gonna get through to him," Cloud pointed out.

The mercenary was right, Aris realized.

"Motoyasu, why are you so mad at me?" Aris asked. "I know you don't like me, but this is out of character, even for you. It wouldn't happen to be because I fled after our last battle, would it?"

Motoyasu's grip tightened on his spear. "Are you really that cruel..? Were Ren and Itsuki so insignificant to you that you just forgot about what you did to them!? People call you a demon, and now I finally understand why. You told us the Heroes should all work together, and yet you tricked us! You...bastard!" He raised his weapon. "You'll pay for what you did!"

Aris blocked again. "What do you even think I did!?"

"You of all people would know!"

Motoyasu lunged, sending his spear right at Aris's head. The Hylian barely dodged to the side, feeling a small chunk of his left ear rip at the feeling of the spear. He cried out, feeling the blood drip onto his clothes.

He finally drew the Master Sword.

Motoyasu gritted his teeth. "You're going to pay..." he seethed. "You'll pay for what you did to them, you murderer!"

"Murderer!?" Aris shouted. "What do you mean? Who was killed?"

"Don't you play dumb with me, you know exactly what you fucking did!"

Aris sent Motoyasu back with a kick.

"How can you stand there and pretend you don't understand why I'm so pissed off!?" the Spear Hero exclaimed.

"Wait...were the Bow and Sword Heroes killed!?" Sora suddenly realized aloud.

"And where's Melty!?" Motoyasu shouted over Sora. "You killed her too, didn't you!?"

"She was kidnapped by pirates!" Aris shot back. "The situation wasn't under my control, I was trying to keep her safe!"

"Liar!" Motoyasu roared.

"Listen!" Aris boomed. "Why do you think I'd want to kill Ren or Itsuki? What would I have to gain from that?"

"What do you mean!?"

"Answer me this, Motoyasu," said Aris. "Did you see their corpses with your own two eyes?"

Motoyasu fell silent.

"Your stunned silence is very reassuring," Aris deadpanned. "I'm going to assume you didn't."

"I think a representative of the church is a reliable source," one of Motoyasu's party members - a woman with a fairly revealing outfit and a long pink braid - butted in. "They said the Devil of Hyrule summoned a monster in the center of Idol Rabier's hometown, then used the ensuing devastation as a distraction to murder Itsuki and Ren behind closed doors."

"That's ridiculous!" Cloud shouted. "He was killing the thing, I saw it! I even helped fight it off!"

"Don't let this devil or his followers sway you with their words, sir," the woman said to Motoyasu.

"He can't fool me, Lesty," Motoyasu assured her. "But enough talking. Lesty, if you would?"

Lesty nodded, conjuring a spell and lifting her hands.

Lighting burst from her fingertips, encircling both parties in a cage of crackling electricity.

"Brings a new meaning to the Thunderdome," Ness quipped to himself.

"Calm down and think things through!" Aris shouted at Motoyasu. "Are you seriously believing all the lies they feed you!?"

"No need to worry about that," said Motoyasu. "I trust my friends enough to be able to believe them."

Aris quickly checked his status display and analyzed Motoyasu.

His level is leagues higher than mine, he realized. The workings of a Class Upgrade, no doubt.

BGM: Squirming Evil - Kingdom Hearts 1.5 ReMix

Lesty lifted her hands again. "Zweit Fire Squall!"

A torrential downpour of fireballs barreled toward Aris and his party.

Sora raised his Keyblade. "Water!"

A blast of water snuffed out the flames.

Filo charged at Motoyasu, whose spear ended up in the clutches of her talons. Another of Motoyasu's party members, a young mage, fired a Zweit Air Shot at the Filolial, who dodged by shifting to her human form.

Motoyasu was able to launch Filo away.

"PSI Shield!" Ness leaped into the air where Filo was hurtling, summoning a psychic barrier for her to push off with her legs. Filo did so, summoning her energy claws and slashing at Motoyasu.

Motoyasu gritted his teeth. "Forgive me for this, Filo."

He charged toward her.

Cloud intervened, sending Motoyasu flying back with a powerful swing of his Fusion Sword.

Motoyasu lifted his spear. "Guys, now!"

Lesty and the mage lifted their hands.

"Zweit Fire Shot!"

"Zweit Air Shot!"

Jets of flame and wind engulfed the head of Motoyasu's spear.

"Harnessing the power of fire, wind, and spear..." said Motoyasu. "Behold! Air Burst Flare Lance!"

"Guard!" Sora cast Reflega and blocked an incoming jet of fire and wind.

"Two can play this game, Motoyasu!" Aris shouted. He turned back to his party and lifted the Master Sword. "Everyone, hit me with as many energy-based attacks as you have!"

Sora shot a beam of light from his Keyblade.

"Blade Beam!" Cloud sent out an arch of energy into the Master Sword.

"PK Rockin'!" Ness shot out waves of psychic energy.

Loretta smirked, firing a salvo of lasers.

The Master Sword gleamed with great power.

"Wait."

Raphtalia stepped toward Aris.

Aris held his sword out to her.

The Demi-Human grasped the holy blade's hilt alongside Aris, channeling her light magic.

She heard a voice in her mind. By your power, warrior, said the voice from the sword, we shall win this battle.

The Master Sword roared with light.

Aris raised skyward the Blade of Evil's Bane. Divine light bathed the sacred weapon.

"My turn..." he said. "Ultimate Skyward Strike!"

With a great swing of the Master Sword, a myriad of energies consolidated into a single projectile, hurtling toward Motoyasu.

The Spear Hero blocked, but it wasn't enough to stop him from taking a great deal of damage.

Motoyasu's jaw clenched. "You think some fancy light show's gonna be enough!?" he roared.

"Try telling that to your halved HP, buddy!" Ness jeered.

Cloud's body suddenly gleamed with blue energy. "My turn."

"Get 'em!" Sora cheered.

Cloud charged with blinding speed, knocking Motoyasu and his entire party into the air.

"Limits are meant to be broken! Omnislash: Version Five!"

The Fusion Sword split into its many smaller blades, leaving the main one in Cloud's hand.

The mercenary darted from one sword to another, collecting them as he slashed at Motoyasu's party.

The blades came together for one final attack. Cloud sent his opponents to the ground like God banishing Lucifer.

End BGM

"Dammit..." Motoyasu strained. "How are you so strong? None of you have even upgraded your class! What have you been doing all this time!?"

"Cleaning up your damned messes," Aris replied. "And acquiring newfound strength and comrades along the way."

Motoyasu barely staggered to his feet. "You honestly expect me to believe that?"

"It doesn't matter to me," said Aris. "I know it's the truth. I don't care if you don't."

"We do what we have to do," said Loretta, "no matter how trivial it may seem. From opening a temporary soup kitchen for the needy to stopping an epidemic."

"That's why you lost to us," Sora added. "Look, I'd do anything for my friends, and I love that you'd do anything for yours. But people who lie to you over and over again aren't your friends. Friends are supposed to be a source of companionship, not blind trust."

Ness suddenly looked around. "Guys? Something's...off."

"She's right," Raphtalia noticed. "All those soldiers that were here before...they're gone."

BGM: Desperate Situation - Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Filo suddenly leaped into action, shifting into her Filolial form and kicking Motoyasu's downed party members closer to where everyone else was, as if playing golf with multiple balls.

"Filo, what are you doing?" asked Aris.

"No time!" she replied. "Papa, bring out all the shields you can, quick! If you don't, we're all done for!"

"Shield Prison!"

A massive Shield Prison engulfed everyone present.

"More! We need more!" said Filo. "Up above! Quick!"

"Air Strike Shield! Second Shield!"

Sora and Ness chimed in.

"Guard!"

"PSI Shield!"

"It's coming!" Filo cried.

From high above in the sky, a massive beam of yellow light crashed down on the shielded people. Screaming filled the air as everyone held each other close. Raphtalia and Loretta clung to each other, as did Filo and Ness, and Sora and Cloud. .

The beam lit up the inside of the Shield Prison like the sun as it broke through each barrier, one by one.

Aris raised his shield, screaming with effort as he blocked the beam when it burst through the Shield Prison.

End BGM

At last, the light died down. The beam had stopped.

Everyone looked around.

They now stood in a deep crater with small streams of molten rock flowing around them. Other than that and a newly destroyed border wall, their surroundings were the same. The beam had been hot enough to melt through the very earth beneath them.

"Is...hah..." Aris panted, "...is everyone alright?"

"We're fine," Ness replied.

"What was that?" Motoyasu wondered aloud. "Lesty, any ideas?"

"Yes, but...it can't be..."

Silence ensued.

A sound suddenly echoed in the crater: distant applause.

"Remarkable," crooned an old voice. "Truly remarkable. You just took Judgement head-on and you still live. It's an exceedingly powerful group ritual that none have survived before you. I would expect nothing less from the Swordsman Shield Hero himself."

"It's the freaking Pope!? From the church!?" Raphtalia yelled.

"Indeed, and I am glad that you remember me," replied the Pope. "But, if you are aware of me, I am sure you are aware of your many...sins, as well."

"Sins? I mean...we all do wrong sometimes," Aris agreed.

"True, but my God bestowed holy water upon you, and you did not thank Him for this gift," said the Pope.

"Wait a second..." Motoyasu realized. "If I've done my research right, simply not saying thanks for some holy water isn't a sin. At least not in the doctrine of the church.

"Ah, but you did not read the entire doctrine," said the Pope. "Either way, I shall purify you in the name of God. Your transgressions shall plague this land no more!"

"Hang on..." Sora squinted. "He's hypnotized."

"What? How?" Lesty questioned.

"And by whom?" asked Aris.

Sora narrowed his eyes. "I know who."

As if on cue, the butt end of a golden staff suddenly pierced the Pope's chest. Blood spurted from the wound.

A tall, bearded man in a black robe and turban stepped out from behind the Pope. "You have failed me for the first and last time, old man," he sneered.

He pulled his hand back behind the Pope. The golden staff retracted from the old man's body, leaving his corpse to fall to the ground in a pool of blood.

The many nuns and priests behind the now-dead Pope gasped, but the bearded man raised his golden staff, the head of which resembled a cobra.

"I am now your lord and master - your god. He ordered. Now, you bow to me and me alone!"

The eyes of the golden cobra lit up with red and yellow, putting the priests and nuns under the man's spell.

"What have you done, Jafar!?" Sora yelled.

"Ah, it's you." Jafar turned back around. "A shame my hypnosis would work on none of you. I surely would love to have a Keyblade Wielder and the two surviving Cardinal Heroes worshipping me as their deity."

"It was you who killed Ren and Itsuki!" Motoyasu realized, pointing his spear at Jafar.

Jafar ignored him. "The other three Cardinal Heroes, as well as both princesses, were murdered by the Devil of Hyrule," crooned Jafar. "Or so the people shall believe. Well, as far as I am concerned, you lot are dead already. And if you peace-loving cowards are dead, all will be right in my new world. At least...once I abolish this blasted monarchy that runs this place."

"He's abolishing the monarchy?" said Raphtalia. "What's he going to replace it with?"

"Well...I say I am abolishing the monarchy, but what I am really doing is changing it. No longer shall the Melromarc family rule this land. I will. And I will conquer all other nations and become the god of this world."

"What about Maleficent!?" Sora shouted at Jafar.

"Oh, the old witch?" Jafar laughed. "I care not for her. She seeks the Princesses of Heart. I, however...seek dominion over this world. And none of you will be able to stop me. After all...what 'heroism' have you truly accomplished, aside from causing famine and sickness among the people of this world? And I still have yet to mention all the things people say about the Devil of Hyrule. Such 'heroes' will be no match for my inevitable conquest, as they will be too busy fighting amongst themselves instead of resisting. At least...they would, if the Sword and Bow still lived."

Jafar raised his staff. "These false heroes shall be wiped from the face of this world as the first casualties of my campaign, and many more will follow should any dare to resist their new god."